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WorkflowExpert heuristicIntermediate

Problem Framing

Turn a pile of research into one statement narrow enough to design against and wide enough to allow more than one answer.

Definition

Framing is the step between discovery and design. It converts observations into a stated problem, a defined audience, known constraints and a measure of success, so that later disagreements are about evidence rather than taste.

Expert heuristic. A review criterion developed by practitioners. Useful and widely taught, but evaluated by judgement rather than measurement.

On this page
  1. Definition
  2. Writing the frame
  3. Frames that fail, and their repair
  4. Continue from here

Writing the frame

  1. 1

    State the observed behaviour

    What people actually do now, with the evidence attached. Not what they say they want, and not a feature.

  2. 2

    Name who has the problem

    A specific group with a shared situation. 'Users' is not an audience.

  3. 3

    Say why it matters

    The consequence for the person and the consequence for the business, separately. If only one exists, the work is weaker than it looks.

  4. 4

    List the real constraints

    Legal, technical, brand, timing. Constraints narrow the space productively. Fictional constraints narrow it destructively, so check which is which.

  5. 5

    Define done

    One measure that would move if this were solved, and a level at which you would stop.

Frames that fail, and their repair

Weak frameWhy it failsStronger
Users want a dashboardA solution disguised as a problem.Account managers cannot tell which of their 40 clients needs attention this week.
Improve onboardingNo audience, no behaviour, no measure.Half of new teams never invite a second person, and single-person teams churn within a month.
Make the product easierUnfalsifiable.Support handles 200 password reset requests a week, mostly from one sign-in path.

Continue from here

Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.

Principles behind this

The reasoning this solution is an application of.

Often used with

These usually appear in the same screen or the same decision.

Related concept

Connected closely enough to change how you apply this.